Kukla's Korner Hockey

A couple of weeks ago I looked at the Southeast Division and how every team in it has been outscored by its opponents this season. That is not a good sign, and it’s not something that happens very often. It’s never happened in the post-lockout NHL, and the closest we came was during the 2006-07 season when the Atlanta Thrashers, the winners of the Southeast that year, finished as plus-one, the only team to outscore its opponents for the season.

They were then demolished in the playoffs, losing four straight games.

It’s still true today, and with the Washington Capitals currently owning the “best” goal-differential at minus-12, the division, as a whole,has been outscored by 107 goals this season.

Comments

Back when we were talking realignment, before it got squashed, people were complaining about how it was unfair to have some “conferences” with seven teams and some with eight. I fail to see how that would have been less fair than giving a three seed to the winner of such a weak division. Right now Florida is in 3rd, leading the SE division, but in points would be 8th. In the West Phoenix is sitting 3rd, leading the Pacific, but would also be 8th with 75 points (tied with Dallas). Personally I don’t find that very fair either.